Founded in 1946, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society funds more research, offers more services for people with MS, and provides more professional education programs than any other MS organization in the world. Through its home office in New York and its 50-state network of chapters, the Society serves more than one million people annually. The Society is the largest private supporter of MS research in the world: for more than 55 years it has funded innovative research and advocated for government support of important scientific inquiries. Northern California is the epicenter of cutting-edge MS research. Currently, scientists at local universities receive millions in research grants from the National MS Society.